The present invention relates to optical element arrays, optical modules, and optical transmission devices.
A surface-emitting type semiconductor laser has characteristics in which its light output varies depending on ambient temperatures. For this reason, there may be cases where an optical module that uses a surface-emitting type semiconductor laser may be equipped with a photodetecting function that detects a part of laser light emitted from the surface-emitting type semiconductor laser to thereby monitor light output values. For example, a photodetecting element such as a photodiode or the like may be provided on a surface-emitting type semiconductor laser, such that a part of laser light emitted from the surface-emitting type semiconductor laser can be monitored within the same device (for example, seed Patent Document 1).
This element has a common electrode for driving the surface-emitting type semiconductor laser and the photodetecting element. For example, the photodetecting element is operated by applying a constant reverse bias thereto. In other words, a constant bias is applied between the common electrode described above and another electrode of the photodetecting element for driving. For this reason, in order to modulate the surface-emitting type semiconductor laser, a modulation signal would be implied to the other electrode of the surface-emitting type semiconductor laser, not to the common electrode described above.
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Laid-open Patent Application HEI 10-135568.